Today we’d like to introduce you to Donna Zarbin-Byrne.
Hi Donna, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
It all began with a mother/daughter ceramics class and by about age 10, I had my first studio in a room in the basement of my Chicago home. As a child, we used to drive my grandmother home down Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. From the back seat, I loved watching the display of color and atmosphere of Lake Michigan where the sky and water meet each other. Along that same drive is a magnificent totem pole, entitled Kwunusila, or Thunderbird.
The combination of colors, creatures and wings spreading into the horizon fascinated me and I began sculpting my rendition of the totem pole, realizing that I could express my observations about everything that delighted me through clay.
I went on to complete my Bachelor’s and Masters’s in Fine Art from The University of Texas at San Antonio. My interest in studying art history through the lens of other cultures continued at UTSA with their strong department in Pre-Columbian Art.
To this day, my work is based on abstractions from nature, with an awareness of my place in the flow of cultural history.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I have balanced a teaching career, being an Airbnb host, and raising a family in conjunction with my art practice. In addition, I co-founded Artisan Restoration International, an art restoration company that specializes in conservation, custom design and art fabrication with my husband. As a fine artist without any formal business training, developing and operating a company has not been without its challenges. Although it has been rewarding and has presented interesting opportunities over the years, it was a challenge for me to focus on both the business and my own art practice simultaneously.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Beauty in nature is both fragile and powerful. I create sculptures and images that respond to the wonder of this duality. As an avid gardener, botanically-inspired forms blossom into abstraction; forms that are cognizable yet re-envisioned. Writer Ann Sargent Wooster has called me “a gardener of the dreamscape” as my projects are cultivated from nature as well as reverie. My work ranges from intimately-scaled sculpture, to large interior installations and public art. Collectively, they reflect upon my fascination with nature and history as I poetically re-interpret botanical and cultural phenomena. I am interested in transporting myself and the viewer to a place of enchantment found in fantasy and fairy tales.
My practice includes working with many different materials and media ranging from steel and cast bronze, to ceramics and handmade paper, fiber and encaustic. Process, craft, and the mark of my hand inform all that I do. Ultimately there is an exchange between hand, artist and audience as I aspire to engage the viewer to imagine and reflect.
Tell us about a project you have been particularly proud of.
I find it meaningful to create public art which reflects the values of a specific community, and intersects with the audience in their daily lives.
An example of a project that I am particularly proud of is a large public sculpture for The Gardens at San Juan in San Antonio, Texas. This public sculpture was co-created with team artist Diana Rodriguez-Gil. Al Paso del Tiempo/A Cyclical Journey Towards Home includes three installations that reflect the history and culture of the residents. In each installation, focal points within the landscape were created that include sitting areas within a sculpture garden and mosaic pathways that wind through a playground. Collaborative ceramic projects were created with the children in area schools and integrated into the mosaic pathways. I am always interested in the challenge of creating custom work for both public and private spheres and welcome the opportunity to activate and add meaning to a space.
I am also honored that one of my artworks has been recently acquired by the City of Houston for the City’s Civic Art Collection.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
As an artist, I was quite accustomed to working alone, but the initial shock and fear did lead to some creative blocks. Exhibitions, residencies and workshops were either canceled, or held online instead of in-person. My practice as an artist includes a balance of solitude, audience and community so I definitely was impacted. Eventually, after getting over the initial shock, I immersed myself in my studio practice and my garden. I did flourish through the gift of time and explored new materials through zoom workshops that I probably would never had attended otherwise.
As with many, the power and usefulness of the internet to continue to learn and stay connected to community became an important tool. To get more comfortable with video and to share with others I created a series called “Words to Go With”. These are 1-minute inspirational videos that you can see on my YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/
Connections with family and friends, cultivating an inner world, and staying curious are enduring values for me. These are my ingredients to thrive!
Pricing:
- Prices range from $500 to $25,000
Contact Info:
- Email: donnazarbinbyrne@gmail.
com - Website: donnazarbinbyrne.com
- Instagram: @
donnazarbinbyrneart | instagram.com/ donnazarbinbyrneart - Facebook: Donna Zarbin-Byrne
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.
com/channel/ UCtGKVf7HpDgj7EZ97R1WNpA - Other: https://mailchi.mp/
c54cf6d861af/studio-updates- sign-up
Image Credits
Carl Yoshihara
